1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for selective control of fluid flow between a wellbore tubular such as a production string and a subterranean formation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hydrocarbons such as oil and gas are recovered from a subterranean formation using a wellbore drilled into the formation. Such wells are typically completed by placing a casing along the wellbore length and perforating the casing adjacent each such production zone to extract the formation fluids (such as hydrocarbons) into the wellbore. Fluid from each production zone entering the wellbore is drawn into a tubing that runs to the surface. It is desirable to have substantially even drainage along the production zone. Uneven drainage may result in undesirable conditions such as an invasive gas cone and/or water cone. In the instance of an oil-producing well, for example, a gas cone may cause an in-flow of gas into the wellbore that could significantly reduce oil production. In like fashion, a water cone may cause an in-flow of water into the oil production flow that reduces the amount and quality of the produced oil. Accordingly, it may be desired to provide controlled drainage across a production zone and/or the ability to selectively close off or reduce in-flow within production zones experiencing an undesirable influx of water and/or gas. Additionally, it may be desired to inject a fluid into the formation in order to enhance production rates or drainage patterns.
The present disclosure addresses these and other needs of the prior art.